Jeff Matthews, Chairman & CEO of Winstead PC, has over 20 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. He has been with Winstead since 2003 and was formerly the chair of the firm’s Business and Transaction Department. Matthews has been a member of The Real Estate Council (TREC) since 2005 and was in the Associate Leadership Council (ALC) Class of 2008. He has facilitated class days and leadership luncheons and is the 2024 ALC Chair.
What has been the high point of your career so far?
I think probably the highest point was having my fellow shareholders elect me as the CEO of Winstead. Anytime people you’ve worked your entire career with show that level of trust and faith in you it’s humbling tremendously rewarding.
What ALC Class were you a part of? What were your favorite moments of your ALC class year?
I was in ALC Class of 2008. Some of my favorite days were when we were out there as a class working on our community investment project. We helped redo a YMCA in South Dallas, and we had a good group of people show up every workday. It was a lot of fun getting out of the office and spending the day doing something good for the city together. It was a great opportunity to get to know each other better in a situation where we weren’t just talking about work or more serious things. It served as a basis for a number of friendships that I still have today.
What impact has ALC had on your career?
ALC did a wonderful job of introducing me to different people within different parts of the real estate industry. It gave me relationships with brokers, architects, contractors, designers – everybody up and down the spectrum of what it takes to get a real estate project done. If I don’t understand why someone in a fellow class member’s field does something a certain way or has a certain problem, I have someone I can call to help me understand their line of thinking, which has helped me become better at my job. I’ve been able to really understand the motivations of different players in a real estate transaction.
Why would you encourage other commercial real estate professionals to apply to the program?
You’re going to become so well acquainted and such good friends with people throughout all walks of the real estate industry, and it will serve you for years to come. Almost 15 years later, I still rely on those relationships on a regular basis. It forms uniquely strong bonds where you can pick up the phone and it doesn’t matter how long it’s been, it’s like not a day has passed.
And, if you want to lead this city and you want to be someone who understands what it takes to make your business a success, it’s also important to understand what makes Dallas a success. We like to think sometimes that what we do stays in a vacuum, but what happens in Dallas and its wins and losses will impact our companies and how we grow in the future. If we all work together to make the city of Dallas and this region better, we’re all going to benefit, and we’re all going to have stronger companies for it.
What are you most excited for this year’s ALC class?
I’m excited about having 30 new friends. I’ve gotten really close with 2023’s class, they’re all tremendous, and I’ve enjoyed watching them grow and I can’t wait to do it again. I think the ALC program is one of the best things I’ve ever done because of how it helped me grow and I look forward to seeing another 30 people go through it and see all that this program has to offer.
The Associate Leadership Council (ALC) is a 10-month leadership development program designed to inspire and educate future commercial real estate leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth. For more information about the program and the application process, go here.
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